RESUMO
Elastic fibers are critical for the mechanical function of the large arteries. Mechanical effects of elastic fiber protein deficiency have been investigated in whole arteries, but not in isolated smooth muscle cells (SMCs). The elastic moduli of SMCs from elastin (Eln-/-) and fibulin-4 (Fbln4-/-) knockout mice were measured using atomic force microscopy. Compared to control SMCs, the modulus of Eln-/- SMCs is reduced by 40%, but is unchanged in Fbln4-/- SMCs. The Eln-/- SMC modulus is rescued by soluble or α elastin treatment. Altered gene expression, specifically of calponin, suggests that SMC phenotypic modulation may be responsible for the modulus changes.
Assuntos
Artérias/fisiologia , Tecido Elástico/fisiologia , Elastina/fisiologia , Proteínas da Matriz Extracelular/fisiologia , Músculo Liso Vascular/fisiologia , Miócitos de Músculo Liso/fisiologia , Animais , Artérias/citologia , Artérias/efeitos dos fármacos , Células Cultivadas , Módulo de Elasticidade/efeitos dos fármacos , Módulo de Elasticidade/fisiologia , Tecido Elástico/efeitos dos fármacos , Elastina/farmacologia , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Knockout , Músculo Liso Vascular/citologia , Músculo Liso Vascular/efeitos dos fármacos , Miócitos de Músculo Liso/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
Using either the principle of minimum energy or constant shear stress, a relation can be derived that predicts the diameters of branching vessels at a bifurcation. This relation, known as Murray's Law, has been shown to predict vessel diameters in a variety of cardiovascular systems from adult humans to developing chicks. The goal of this study is to investigate Murray's Law in vessels from mice that are haploinsufficient for the elastin protein (Eln+/-). Elastin is one of the major proteins in the blood vessel wall and is organized in concentric rings, known as lamellae, with smooth muscle cells (SMCs) around the vessel lumen. Eln+/- mice have an increased number of lamellae, as well as smaller, thinner vessels. It is possible that due to decreased amounts of elastin available for vessel wall remodeling during development and in adulthood, Eln+/- vessels would not follow Murray's Law. We examined vessel bifurcations in six different physiologic regions, including the brain, heart, epidermis, ceocum (or cecum), testes, and intestines, in Eln+/- mice and wild-type (WT) littermates. All vessels were between 40 and 300 µm in diameter. We found that the diameters of both Eln+/- and WT vessels have an average of 13% error from the diameters predicted by Murray's Law, with no significant differences between genotypes or physiologic regions. The data suggest that vessels are optimized to follow Murray's Law, despite limitations on the proteins available for growth and remodeling of the vessel wall.